The Okanlomo of Ibadan land, Senator Rilwan Adesoji Akanbi is deeply saddened by the recent inferno that gutted the Akesan market in the ancient town of Oyo in Oyo state.
The fire which started around 12:30am on Sunday morning, destroyed goods worth several millions of naira mostly clothing, food items, household utensils and more.
His statement in Ibadan on Sunday, January 5 reads:
Today, I received with deep sadness the news of the inferno that engulfed the popular Akesan market in Oyo town.
I can only imagine the pain of watching helplessly while one’s source of livelihood is being razed and my prayers are with all the traders who have been affected by this unfortunate incident.
It is quite regrettable that all attempts to extinguish the fire and salvage some of their goods failed. But most painful for me is the loss of three lives during the protest that followed the incident.
After the Almighty Allah has shown us great mercy by ensuring that no life was lost in the inferno, it is most painful that such needless deaths had to occur during the protest against the reported failure of the Fire Service to stop the fire.
I am of the opinion that this should not be swept under the carpet and the police would leave no stone unturned in unravelling the circumstances that led to the deaths of these three youths.
I wish to seize this opportunity to condole with our father, the Alaafin of Oyo, Iku Baba Yeye, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi on these series of sad events. It is my prayer that such calamity will not befall the peaceful Oyo kingdom again.
I also wish to commiserate with the Governor of Oyo state, Engr. Seyi Makinde on this sad incident. I commend you for swinging into action immediately and showing solidarity with our people.
I believe efforts would be ongoing to provide support for victims of the fire but beyond this, the incident reminds us all as leaders to put more effort into disaster management to curb future occurrences. Perhaps the Oyo State Fire Service now needs special attention.
Also, the people of Oyo town, particularly those whose sources of livelihood have been wiped out need us all now and I call on the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Oyo State Emergency management Authority (OYSEMA) to provide adequate support and relief items.
This is also a time for the people of Oyo state to feel the impact of the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development.
The Akesan Market is a very important market that plays a huge role in the economy of Oyo state and Southwest Nigeria generally. Therefore, I call on the Minister, Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouq, to quickly intervene to ensure that succor comes to all Nigerian citizens affected by the inferno.
Signed:
Senator Rilwan Adesoji Akanbi
